TURKEY’S PM SAYS COMMITTED TO DEALS DESPITE ARMENIA HALT
WorldBulletin.net
April 22 2010
Turkey
Turkey’s prime minister said his country was committed to peace
protocols with Armenia.
Turkey’s prime minister said on Thursday his country was committed
to peace protocols with Armenia, despite a decision by Armenia’s
ruling coalition to suspend ratification of the accords by Yerevan’s
parliament.
Turkey and Armenia which have no diplomatic ties or economic relations
since Turkey closed its border with Armenia since this country invaded
the Upper-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in 1992, signed two protocols
in October 2009, for normalisation of relations, after months-long
Swiss-mediated talks.
But, Armenia’s ruling coalition on Thursday said it had decided to
freeze the ratification in parliament of accords with Turkey aimed
at normalising ties.
"As we have earlier stated numerous times, we are loyal to the
protocols, their essence and spirit as well as their implementation,"
Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a joint press conference with New Zealander
counterpart John Key after a their meeting in the Turkish capital,
Ankara.
"Obviously, it is at their own discretion over how they would manage
the ratification process. I am in no position to tell them what to
say," Erdogan said, adding that he had "taken note" of the Yerevan
government’s decision.
"Suspension"
The protocols envisage the two countries to establish diplomatic ties
and open the border that has been close since 1993.
"Considering the Turkish side’s refusal to fulfil the requirement to
ratify the accord without preconditions in a reasonable time, making
the continuation of the ratification process in the national parliament
pointless, we consider it necessary to suspend this process," Armenia
statement said.
Under the protocol, Turkey and Armenia reconfirmed their commitment,
in their bilateral and international relations, to respect and ensure
respect for the principles of "equality, sovereignty, non-intervention
in internal affairs of other states, territorial integrity and
inviolability of frontiers".
The protocol on development of bilateral relations aims to facilitate
the development of relations between Turkey and Armenia in all fields
and the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border two months after the
protocol goes into effect.
Both Turkey and Armenian governments initiated the internal
ratification process.
Turkish government sent the protocols to the parliament. The protocol
needs to be approved by the parliament in order for it to take effect.
The Turkish government says it will not open the border unless Armenia
ends its occupation of Upper-Karabakh.
However, on January 12, 2010, the Armenian Constitutional Court
approved the protocols, however the tone of the court’s reasoned
verdict drew criticism from Turkey and Turkish officials who voiced
their uneasiness in various platforms.
Turkey thought the fifth article of Armenian Constitutional Court’s
verdict regarding the protocols was against the target and basis of
the protocols.